With a B.A. in Global Studies from Multnomah University, you will develop into the change that you long to see in the world. If you have a heart for others and a desire to address global and cultural issues with empathy and understanding, pursuing your degree in Global Studies will broaden your perspective and expand your impact more than you ever thought possible. Learn from faculty who share real-world experience from nonprofits and ministries that they started or worked in during their careers and research. To change the world, you need to better understand it, and that’s what Global Studies at Multnomah is all about.
Ways to study
Undergraduate (Major or Minor) | On-campus | Study Abroad (optional)
Program concentrations
Global Ministry | Children at Risk | Culture and Diversity | Sustainability | International Studies
Course plan
4-year | 5-year (Summit Program; includes earning an M.A. in Christian Leadership
Application deadlines
Prepare for a Career of Impact
This intercultural program will develop your understanding and provide opportunities to actively engage with the various issues that affect our world today like social justice, human rights, development, and health and environment. You can choose from one of our five, dynamic concentrations which will allow you to focus on what matters most to you. Short-term and semester study abroad options are encouraged in this program to better prepare you for a variety of career and ministry paths both abroad and at home.
Example Courses
The courses listed below are some of our featured core classes that will be a part of your educational journey here at MU. Take a look at each course for a small preview.
An analysis of a biblically informed, Christ-centered Trinitarian engagement of culture. The course highlights the Institute for the Theology of Culture: New Wine, New Wineskins’ paradigm and gives special attention to the postmodern cultural context.
The course seeks to integrate culture and mission studies with cross-cultural opportunities that encourage reflection and action in global contexts. The emphasis of this course is experiential missional learning from Christian agencies in distinct countries engaged in such topics as business as mission, church planting, biblical social justice, children’s ministry, theological education, global partnership, and majority world mission initiatives. Students are exposed to a plethora of ministry models in distinct socio-cultural contexts.
Providing a big picture, faith-based view of how the world works politically, by identifying relevant global actors, power-dynamics, state-leadership strategies, propagandist techniques, cultural perspectives and current trends. Using a historical outline of international relations to trace the rise of American hegemony, this course will address vital subjects such as influential international organizations, the psychology and ethics of war, principles of global economics, and future foreign policy projections.
Identification and analysis of processes and problems of communicating across cultures around the globe as well as within the United States. Differences in attitudes, social organization, roles, language, and nonverbal communication. Adaptation to rules and forms of communication in varied cultural settings.
Degree Requirements
Here you will find everything you need to know about what is required to successfully complete your degree. Whether you are beginning college for the first time or are a transfer student, we’ve got you covered.
Meet Your Professors
Greg Burch, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Chair, Global Studies; Director, Master of Arts in Global Development and Justice
Karen Fancher, D.Int.St.
Assistant Professor, Global Studies and Master of Arts in Global Development and JusticeGod of Everything
God is Present Before We Show Up
In his class, Children at Risk in Global Context, Dr. Greg Burch teaches his students that God is present in the mess. He learned this while responding to the needs of street-living children in Venezuela.
Watch More:
Embracing Kingdom Diversity
Program Concentrations
This concentration is designed for those pursuing international mission work, including evangelism, discipleship, church planting, refugee resettlement, or migrant services. This is an optimal concentration for those desiring to pursue graduate studies in Christian leadership, intercultural studies, missiology, or theology.
This concentration is designed for those who want to work with children (street children, child soldiers, human/child trafficking, child labor, adoption, etc.), community development, international/global development, humanitarian relief, or urban ministries. This concentration is helpful for students desiring to pursue graduate degrees in intercultural studies, childhood studies, social justice, international/global development, public affairs, humanitarian studies, and non-profit management.
This concentration is designed for those seeking to work in urban and multi-ethnic centers, multi-ethnic church work, the marketplace, community outreach (public and private), education, public policy, and law enforcement. This is an optimal concentration for those desiring to pursue graduate studies in cultural studies, international affairs, intercultural studies, criminal justice, and social justice.
This concentration is designed for those interested in the intersection of environmental and sustainability studies, faith, and social impact and wishes to work in sustainable development, environmental mission organizations, a climate change-focused non-profit, community development, sustainability consultation, public relations, or local and state government work. This would be an excellent primer for graduate studies in intercultural studies, environmental studies, social justice, and global development.
This concentration is designed for those planning to go into regional consulting work, research institutes, mission organizations, foundations, community development, government, and policy development work. This is an optimal concentration for those desiring to pursue graduate degrees in cultural studies, intercultural studies, international affairs, public policy, and regional study.
Career Placement
The Global Studies program will equip you for a variety of career and vocational ministry options both domestically and internationally. You will be prepared for roles or graduate-level study to move toward roles such as:
| • Social Justice Worker | • Bible Translator | • Nonprofit Manager |
| • Missionary | • Foreign Service Officer | • Child Rights Advocate |
| • Community Development Worker | • International Relations Specialist | • Humanitarian Relief Worker |
Summit Program
Interested in continuing your education and earning your M.A. in Christian Leadership someday? You can start right now. Traditionally, it takes four years to earn a B.A. and an extra two years to gain your M.A., but you can skip a year of school and save thousands of dollars without sacrificing opportunities or experience. Through the Summit Program, an accelerated program for high-achieving students, you can earn these two respected degrees in only five years.
Expedite Your Academic Journey
Explore MoreGlobal Studies Internship Program
The Global Studies program will provide you with a challenging, enriching, and life-changing experience through the internship program. You will gain valuable knowledge and skills that will prepare you for a career in making impactful changes in this world.
Learn More about Global Studies Internships
I’m ready!“I would like to go overseas long-term and work with the deaf community. The Global Studies program at Multnomah stood out to me because it prepares students for the mission field. It helps me understand culture and how to minister to any culture that I engage with.”
Katarina Kerr '20, Global Studies
Get Started
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